Archbishop lists Ikpeazu, Buhari’s successes, failures

Retiring Archbishop of Aba in Abia State, Ecclesiastical Province/Bishop of Umuahia of the Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Ikechi Nwaosu, in his valedictory address at the second session of the 9th Synod of Umuahia Diocese held at St. Stephen’s Cathedral Umuahia, yesterday, with had the theme, ‘Looking Unto Jesus: The Finisher of Our Faith,’ has listed the successes and failures of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and President Muhammed Buhari.

He commended Ikpeazu for improving on the payment of salaries of civil servants, harmonisation of revenue payable to government through a central payment system, elimination of multiple taxation and touting in revenue collection, repositioning Board of Inland Revenue with a one-stop complex, promoting made-in-Aba products, creating opportunities for SMEs and conducting local government election, which he said was not done for many years.

But the Archbishop faulted the governor on non-payment of pensions and gratuities, as well as owing salary arrears ranging from five to 12 months to workers of state College of Education, Abia Transport Company, Environment Protection Agency, Health Management Board, Primary Education Board, among others.

He wondered why existing factories have remained moribund while government insists it has no business being in business and thus leaving a lot of people that should have been employed there jobless.

On the federal government, he commended Buhari for the crusade against Boko Haram insurgency, regular payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities to federal workers, release of some abducted Chibok and Dapchi schoolgirls, rehabilitation of some roads in the Southeast and parts of the country, campaign against corruption and legal action against suspected looters of public funds.

He, however, faulted the federal government for failing to address Army and Police high-handedness at checkpoints, soaring graduate and youth unemployment, inability to fully curtail rampaging herdsmen and rising inflation rate.

He lamented that despite assuring Nigerians that Boko Haram had been “technically defeated,” there have been intermittent resurgence of insurgents.’ attacks.